A Magical Night in the Park: Evan F. Caccioppoli on A Midsummer Night’s Dream as presented by The Public Theater as part of Shakespeare in the Park.

As a native New Yorker it wouldn’t be summer in the city without attending The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in The Park, that’s a given. I can’t think of a more perfect play for the stage of The Delacorte Theater than Shakespeare’s magical comedy of love A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Public Theater Resident Director Lear deBessonet’s production is joyous, colorful, funny, and enchanting all once Which serves for a wonderful summer night of theatre.

            Ms. deBessonet has created a production that is accessible to an audience of all generations and for those who are both loving time lovers or complete new to The Bard’s writing. I have seen many productions of Shakespeare’s work and I feel sometimes directors can become lost in the language and history of the writing and forget the Shakespeare was writing for the everyday person. Ms. deBessonet’s production offers one wonderful surprise after another that honors the play but makes it alive for a contemporary audience. She use all of The Delcorte Theater to create this magical Athenian forest where fairies rule but love rings supreme. Ms. deBassonet has directed a cast that you can happily tell our enjoying themselves and that allows us as audience to join in on the fun.

            The Public has ensemble a talented and exciting cast for this production all of whom fit their roles perfectly. Phylicia Rashad brings beauty, strength, class, and enchantment to her performance as Titania, Queen of Fairies. Richard Poe is every much her match in his condemning Oberon (Titania and Oberon’s opening dialogue is probably my favorite open lines between two characters in any Shakespeare play). Kristine Nielsen’s Puck is everything you want her to be in performance as that “knavish sprite”, causing all kinds of trouble but doing so with a twinkle in her eye. I also loved Ms. deBassonet’s choice of not casting the fairies as children but casting actors have long been part of fairy court.

            The Mechanicals of this production were the comedic gem you wanted them to be. Danny Burstein’s Nick Bottom is everything of the overconfident amateur scene stealer you wanted him to be. When making an ass-of-himself (cheap pun intended), he was hilarious and believable without being overblown. His fellow “crew of patches” delivered their comedic bad-by-accident tragedy perfectly. I must give special mention to the scene stealing moment of Patrena Murray’s Snout and Jeff Hillner’s Francis Flute. For me however this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream belonged to the four young lovers who played together has a perfect quartet. Shalita Grant, Kyle Beltran, Alex Henandez and scene-stealing Annaleigh Ashford found everyone moment of comedy, warmth, and love in the play and invented a few more that let their scenes explode. These four roles depended so much on how the four actors trust each other and play together, these actors were having a blast. 

            This Midsummer was perfectly designed to fit the Delacorte stage. David Rockwell’s set gave the cast so much to play with and on, Tyler Micoleau’s lighting enhanced the magic of the park, Justin Levine’s music added a wonderful underscore. Clint Ramos beautiful and exciting costumes pushed every character a step further, and gasped upon seeing several of them for the first time.

            As my guest and I were leaving the park and talking about the play the words joyous and magical kept being repeated, we both had smiles on our faces. In the times we are currently living in any chance to spend a few hours wrapped in joy are welcomed. Shakespeare in the Park’s joyfully, musical, funny, and magical production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream gives you just that.

A Midsummer Night's Dream
By William Shakespeare
Choreography by Chase Brock
Directed by Lear deBessonet

Featuring Annaleigh Ashford (Helena); De’Adre Aziza (Hippolyta); Kyle Beltran (Lysander); Vinie Burrows (First Fairy, Peaseblossom);Danny Burstein (Nick Bottom); Justin Cunningham(Philostrate); Marcelle Davies-Lashley (Fairy Singer);Austin Durant (Snug); Shalita Grant (Hermia); Keith Hart (Third Fairy); Alex Hernandez (Demetrius); Jeff Hiller (Francis Flute); Robert Joy (Peter Quince); Patricia Lewis (Fourth Fairy); David Manis (Egeus, Cobweb); Pamela McPherson-Cornelius (Second Fairy); Patrena Murray (Snout); Kristine Nielsen (Puck); Bhavesh Patel (Theseus); Richard Poe (Oberon); Phylicia Rashad (Titania); Joe Tapper (Robin Starveling); Judith Wagner(Mote); Warren Wyss (Mustardseed); Benjamin Ye(Changeling Boy); Rosanny Zayas (Understudy) 

Scenic Design by David Rockwell
Costume Design by  Clint Ramos
Lighting Design by Tyler Micoleau
Sound Design by Jessica Paz
Hair, Wig & Makeup Design by Cookie Jordan
Original Music by Justin Levine

The Delacorte Theater

81 Central Park West

New York, New York 10023

https://www.publictheater.org/Public-Theater-Season/A-Midsummer-Nights-Dream/